So often do members
of the various departments in a business have a narrow view of the company as a
whole. This can have a detrimental effect on staff productivity and company
culture, and is something that business leaders should be tackling. Creating an
atmosphere that not only facilitates, but encourages cross-functional
collaboration, is an excellent way to drive a business forward and secure an
optimum workforce.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: What it is & why it matters

The term cross-functional
collaboration refers to when employees from different departments work
together, combining their skills and expertise. This could be on individual
projects, or across the board on a regular basis.

Cross-functional
collaboration helps you get the best out of your teams, who often feed off each
other’s ideas and use conversation to stimulate creativity. Managers are likely
to notice improved efficiency and productivity, as well as a positive
atmosphere among staff.

Benefits of Cross-Functional Collaboration

As well as seeing a
difference in productivity and staff attitudes, there are a number of other
advantages for creating a workplace that facilitates cross-functional
collaboration.

To achieve interdepartmental alignment

Most business leaders will be all too aware of the problems
that come with poor communication, not only among senior staff but also between
teams. When departments are not informed of what other departments are working
on, business strategies can become disconnected and non-cohesive.

Every department in a business is there to carry out work
which meets the needs of the business as a whole; each one is an integral cog
in the company machine. When a team works independently of another, it could be
discovered that the work they have been doing is redundant. An example of this
could be a creative design team who have put together a modern design for your
website. Without collaborating with your IT team, it might become apparent that
your website does not have the capability to support their idea, after time has
been spent creating it.

To avoid clashing objectives and targets

Another common problem in companies that don’t have
collaboration among departments, is the occurrence of conflicting goals. A lack
of awareness of the work of another department can easily lead to department
heads setting targets and KPIs for their staff, which are either contradicted
or not supported by other areas of the business.

An example of this might be if a content writer has been
asked to deliver content which obtains x number of ‘click-throughs’. The writer
might depend on a specific channel, such as an email marketing campaign, for
their link to be shared, but this might not happen if the email marketing team
has been set a target of including more deals on an email – in place of sharing
the content.

To inform employees about the big company picture

Ensuring that every member of staff within a business is
educated about the company’s goals and vision for the future, is a must in
order to achieve high employee morale. Only when each employee knows how their
work impacts everybody else, and helps the company to achieve its goals, do
they feel valued. Feeling valued is absolutely imperative to get the best out
of employees, who are likely to put in less than 100% effort if they have no
understanding of why they do what they do.

To instil a sense of equality and respect

Cross-functional collaboration is a very effective method
for getting staff to understand and respect one another. When they have the
opportunity to hear each other’s ideas, and when they can learn about what
other teams and departments are tasked with, it is far easier to appreciate the
work they do. So often feelings of animosity and disdain are borne out of a
lack of understanding of another team’s day to day.

How to Achieve Cross-Functional Collaboration

Cross-functional collaboration is something that should be
ingrained into company
culture; something that should not take a back seat or be forgotten over
time, when new members of staff are brought on board. If this can be achieved,
a sense of teamwork will become apparent in all areas, as collaboration will be
the natural response to any problem.

It’s up to business leaders to start creating an atmosphere
that encourages cross-functional collaboration, and up to senior staff to find
ways of putting it in place. There are a number of ways to begin implementing
this team-based philosophy.

Provide the necessary tools

They key thing to start implementing cross-functional
collaboration is to make it easy for staff to collaborate. While face to face
meetings are probably the most effective way to stimulate conversation and team
work, it’s also important for staff to have access to other departments’
information. This could be in the form of shared digital boards, folders, or
apps – anything that facilitates visibility of the work being carried out.

It should also be easy for all employees to be able to
contact each other. In addition to phone and email, consider offering a
companywide online chat group for convenient instant messaging. Remember to
inform all members of staff about such software, and to run training sessions
on how to use it, if necessary.

Schedule frequent meetings

While it’s unlikely to be possible to have every member of
every team in a meeting, inviting one member from each department as a
representative, or hosting optional open meetings, is a great way to encourage
cross-functional collaboration. Encourage employees to use these as
opportunities to ask questions, voice opinions, or offer ideas. The meetings
should be seen as an idea-exchange platform from which every department can
benefit, and a chance to give updates and information about the company as a
whole.

It should be each department head’s responsibility to
nominate a team member, or encourage their staff to go to interdepartmental
meetings.

Job-shadowing opportunities

Job shadowing not only offers an employee the chance to
learn about their colleagues’ roles, but it also allows for an effective means
of collaboration. This is because it can sometimes take a fresh pair of eyes to
solve a problem, or to make a suggestion for how to improve a process.

Business owners who have tried to implement a job shadowing
scheme in the past might have found that it is too disruptive to the day to
day, however making it a once a month or even once a quarter exercise can make
all the difference. In addition to potential new ideas, job shadowing almost
always leads to an increased sense of respect among employees.

Regular communication

Effective, regular communication – from the top level of the
business down – is a must in order to achieve a collaborative culture. Illustrating
the importance of communication by sending staff regular newsletters, or
posting bulletins in the office to display news, is a helpful way to encourage
the rest of your employees to follow suit.

When colleagues are aware of what’s happening in the
company, and within other departments, they have a clearer picture of the
business as a whole and their own position within it. Understanding this big
picture is a huge part of stimulating cross-functional collaboration.

Business leaders who manage to instil a culture of
cross-functional collaboration within their company will no doubt see a number
of significant benefits. From happier staff to innovative thinking, the
advantages of such a culture will help senior staff to go above and beyond delivering
the business goals, driving the company to new heights.

Matt Bragg is a Director of FMP Global, one of the world’s
leading outsourced
payroll suppliers for SMEs. He’s also a commentator on HR and payroll, and
a thought leader on digital working and employee engagement.

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